﻿LXI7 
  

  

  roots 
  and 
  leaves 
  of 
  aquatic 
  plant?, 
  their 
  seeds 
  fallen 
  into 
  the 
  

   water 
  and 
  other 
  similar 
  substances, 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  fed 
  very 
  read- 
  

   ily 
  upon 
  corn, 
  grain, 
  bread, 
  root 
  crops, 
  raw 
  or 
  boiled, 
  and, 
  in- 
  

   deed, 
  any 
  vegetable 
  refuse 
  whatever. 
  Its 
  rate 
  of 
  growth, 
  too, 
  

   is 
  somewhat 
  marvelous, 
  and 
  as 
  observed 
  so 
  far 
  in 
  the 
  speci- 
  

   me.is 
  introduced 
  into 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  being 
  even 
  more 
  re- 
  

   markable 
  here 
  than 
  in 
  Europe. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  original 
  fish 
  imported 
  by 
  us 
  from 
  Europe, 
  and 
  

   which 
  are 
  now 
  only 
  about 
  three 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  years 
  old, 
  are 
  

   some 
  from 
  twenty-five 
  to 
  thirty 
  inches 
  in 
  length, 
  weighing 
  

   from 
  four 
  to 
  eight 
  or 
  nine 
  pounds. 
  • 
  

  

  The 
  three 
  varieties 
  importe;! 
  by 
  us 
  — 
  the 
  scaly, 
  mirror 
  and 
  

   leathern 
  carp 
  — 
  are 
  all 
  of 
  first 
  class 
  excellence 
  and 
  character- 
  

   ized 
  by 
  broad 
  backs, 
  as 
  distinguished 
  from 
  the 
  sharp 
  back 
  and 
  

   more 
  bonv 
  cliaracters 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  fish. 
  They 
  occupy 
  a 
  

   conspicuous 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  German 
  fish 
  markets, 
  and 
  bring 
  the 
  

   same 
  price 
  as 
  the 
  trout, 
  selling 
  generally 
  for 
  about 
  twenty- 
  

   five 
  cents 
  per 
  pound. 
  The 
  carp 
  will 
  thrive 
  best 
  in 
  artificial 
  

   or 
  natural 
  ponds 
  with 
  muddy 
  bottoms 
  and 
  abounding 
  vegeta- 
  

   tion. 
  In 
  large 
  ponds 
  it 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  add 
  any 
  

   special 
  food 
  ; 
  but 
  in 
  restricted 
  encloures, 
  as, 
  for 
  instance, 
  in 
  

   those 
  of 
  a 
  fraction 
  of 
  an 
  acre, 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  fed 
  with 
  the 
  re- 
  

   fuse 
  of 
  the 
  kitchen, 
  garden, 
  leaves 
  of 
  cabbage, 
  lettuce, 
  leek, 
  

   etc., 
  hominy 
  or 
  other 
  substances. 
  Grain 
  of 
  any 
  kind 
  is 
  gen- 
  

   erally 
  better 
  boiled 
  before 
  being 
  fed 
  to 
  the 
  fish 
  ; 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  

   probably 
  not 
  absolutely 
  necessary. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  prime 
  necessity 
  

   that 
  there 
  be 
  no 
  predaceous 
  fish 
  embraced 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  pond 
  

   with 
  the 
  carp. 
  Of 
  course 
  the 
  larger 
  fish 
  will 
  be 
  measurably 
  

   secure 
  against 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  carnivorous 
  species 
  about 
  the 
  

   same 
  size, 
  but 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  young 
  will 
  become 
  a 
  prey 
  to 
  

   their 
  associates. 
  The 
  carp 
  spawn 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  in 
  May 
  and 
  

   June, 
  and, 
  indeed, 
  under 
  some 
  circumstances, 
  throughout 
  the 
  

   entire 
  summer. 
  We 
  have 
  young 
  fish 
  spawned 
  all 
  the 
  way 
  

   from 
  May 
  until 
  September. 
  They 
  are 
  very 
  prolific, 
  the 
  fe- 
  

   male 
  varying 
  from 
  5 
  ,00 
  J 
  to 
  500,000, 
  according 
  to 
  her 
  size. 
  

   The 
  eggs 
  adhere 
  tenaciously 
  to 
  whatever 
  they 
  touch 
  ; 
  for 
  that 
  

   reason 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  important 
  that 
  the 
  j>ond 
  should 
  be 
  provided 
  

   withfioating 
  weeds 
  for 
  such 
  attachment. 
  The 
  eggs 
  hatch 
  out 
  

  

  